37 replies to this topic

[LDT]

I didn't have the information at hand with my last post, but something like these would fit in with Stephens picture from Klingenthal. The one site sells paper to print it from a computer, which I didn't know about. Design your own. Relatively inexpensive.

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...1742.m153.l1262

Found this stuff....is this the right thing?

[Leo]

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...1742.m153.l1262

Found this stuff....is this the right thing?

Hi LDT

From the description, I would say yes. Before finding the previous description, I didn't know anything about it so it's new to me too. Sounds like a nice system, but again, I've not used it before.

Thanks
Leo

[philapilus]

Lady D! you gonna paint your box? thats such a cool idea! i was thinking of carving a little thing on my new guitar, but as it is nearly a century old i may not. but my little clementina rochelle, now that's a different story, and she was much cheaper than the guitar.....

[tallship]

Is there another kind of paint that would be better suited?

I really don't know LDT! I do remember once thinking that acrylic paint would be great for painting on stone in the garden (do NOT ask why I wanted to paint on stone in the garden! ) because it's waterproof and stone is a rough surface so it should have adhered well. It didn't survive the first moderate downpour of rain.

I'd beware any paints used in modelling, odd ones are cellulose based (quite rare to be honest), anything with cellulose in it will eat straight through the existing finish unless it too is cellulose based.

Leo's transfer idea sounds like a safe bet.

[m3838]

Is there another kind of paint that would be better suited?

I really don't know LDT! I do remember once thinking that acrylic paint would be great for painting on stone in the garden (do NOT ask why I wanted to paint on stone in the garden! ) because it's waterproof and stone is a rough surface so it should have adhered well. It didn't survive the first moderate downpour of rain.

I'd beware any paints used in modelling, odd ones are cellulose based (quite rare to be honest), anything with cellulose in it will eat straight through the existing finish unless it too is cellulose based.

Leo's transfer idea sounds like a safe bet.

So what was the point of buying a concertina for it's looks, then paint it or put some dubious decals on?
A name, to secure it in case of several identical at some newbie gathering, is sound idea, but to bother with decals...
If any, I liked the idea of electrifying the palletts, that light up on push. May work miracles during performance with lights down.
Until that date, time better spent on getting to performance level. If you really want to lay your hands on, unscrew the bolts and see what's inside.
May be you'll want to replace the wooden ends with plexiglass ones.
But just like you wouldn't normally put any decals on Piano, I'd stay away from such frivolity in case of concertina, even the cheap one.
Respect it, it'll return the favor.

[LDT]

But just like you wouldn't normally put any decals on Piano, I'd stay away from such frivolity in case of concertina, even the cheap one.

Oh...actually that would be a cool idea....decorating a boring old piano with decals. Notes perhaps.

Lady D! you gonna paint your box? thats such a cool idea! i was thinking of carving a little thing on my new guitar, but as it is nearly a century old i may not. but my little clementina rochelle, now that's a different story, and she was much cheaper than the guitar.....

My brother got a custom scratchplate for his guitar....just needs to figure out how to swap it for the old one.
I think if we both decorate our concertina's we could start a trend

Leo's transfer idea sounds like a safe bet.

cool.

[m3838]

Oh...actually that would be a cool idea....decorating a boring old piano with decals. Notes perhaps.

Hm. An old piano is only boring when not played properly. The moment you start breathing life into it, it will start shining like no decals can ever be. So, you know...
One has to watch out for compliments lke: "Oh, your instrument is such a lovely looking thing", instead of "Oh, your playing was so moving".

[Pickman]

Figured I could tack this question on with hers:

I just got a lowbie Morelli concertina, and it feels like the bellows are covered by cardboard. I've colored a few of these red with a sharpie marker (just to see how it looks) and it looks awesome. Will it damage my instrument if I were to color all the cardboard this way? Mind you, the actual bellows I'm leaving alone.

[m3838]

Figured I could tack this question on with hers:

I just got a lowbie Morelli concertina, and it feels like the bellows are covered by cardboard. I've colored a few of these red with a sharpie marker (just to see how it looks) and it looks awesome. Will it damage my instrument if I were to color all the cardboard this way? Mind you, the actual bellows I'm leaving alone.

If to talk seriously, your Morelli will not look awesome no matter what. There are lots of details that sell out it's imprecision, be it's bellows red or covered with diamonds. Having said that, I think that if the marker is based on alcohol, it shouldn't damage paper or cardboard, if used sparingly.
So perhaps marker idea is the best out there, if you don't mind the work.

[LDT]

Oh...actually that would be a cool idea....decorating a boring old piano with decals. Notes perhaps.

Hm. An old piano is only boring when not played properly. The moment you start breathing life into it, it will start shining like no decals can ever be. So, you know...
One has to watch out for compliments lke: "Oh, your instrument is such a lovely looking thing", instead of "Oh, your playing was so moving".

maybe if I make mine look stunning enough people won't notice any wrong notes etc. or they can occupy themselves admiring it while I slowly plod along through a tune.

[m3838]

Oh...actually that would be a cool idea....decorating a boring old piano with decals. Notes perhaps.

Hm. An old piano is only boring when not played properly. The moment you start breathing life into it, it will start shining like no decals can ever be. So, you know...
One has to watch out for compliments lke: "Oh, your instrument is such a lovely looking thing", instead of "Oh, your playing was so moving".

maybe if I make mine look stunning enough people won't notice any wrong notes etc. or they can occupy themselves admiring it while I slowly plod along through a tune.

Been there, done that.
Doesn't work. Sometimes I think my mushy playing sounds as mushy to the listeners - nope. They hear all my mistakes very clearly, even the notes, that I myself don't really register.

[Anglo-Irishman]

Oh...actually that would be a cool idea....decorating a boring old piano with decals. Notes perhaps.

Hm. An old piano is only boring when not played properly. The moment you start breathing life into it, it will start shining like no decals can ever be. So, you know...
One has to watch out for compliments lke: "Oh, your instrument is such a lovely looking thing", instead of "Oh, your playing was so moving".

I think Micha has a good point here.

Of course, in this world we live in, you can do anything you like. But you must be aware of how the people around you will react to it! People have a very fine sense of what is "normal", and often react cautiously if they perceive something as "unusual".

Now, musical instruments are normally things of beauty. Most of them have interesting shapes, and almost all have decoration of some sort. BUT each instrument has developed an aesthetic of its own. The beauty of a Neapolitan mandolin lies in the lavish use of ebony and mother-of-pearl, whereas the classical guitar relies on its classic shape and the contrasting woods used. Baroque harpsichords often had an allegorical painting inside the lid - the modern grand piano does not.
Much of the decoration is functional: the violin, for instance, has a scroll so that it can be hung on the wall, and purfling round the edges to prevent cracks from propagating themselves. The aesthetics are secondary.
To the concertinas: These need some sort of holes in the ends to let the air in and out, and it has become usual to provide these holes in the form of elaborate fretwork, which is a functional element executed in an decorative manner. Some cheaper German concertinas have simple holes drilled for this purpose - but the holes are usually arranged in circles, forming a sort of "rosette" motif. So the concertina has its own visual appeal, which is closely linked with its function. This is "normally" regarded as enough decoration. Adding painting or decals is, as Misha pointed out, disrespectful to the instrument and to its maker.

A car will not go faster if you stick stripes on it - but people who have tuned their cars to go faster, and have the ability to control them at high speed, get to stick stripes on them. By analogy, first learn to make your concertina sound great, and then, if you still want to, stick decals on it. Then people will say, "Her concertina looks tacky, but she's a great player!"

First tune the engine and suspension and hone your driving skills - then apply the stripes. First use your time and creativity to see that your concertina is in good shape and that you can exploit it to the full. Then you can think about superficial decorations. If you still want to ...

Cheers,
John

[Anglo-Irishman]

Edited to remove double posting!

Sorry

John

Edited by Anglo-Irishman, 17 September 2008 - 04:15 AM.

[LDT]

My intial thought was to put my 'name' on it in a decorative way so I could identify it as mine if it got lost. Then all these suggestions came in for a total decoration which looked interesting. But I've looked it all up and its a bit expensive and time consuming. I think I might just paint my initials on it somewhere in small letters.

[wntrmute]

Eh. Go with your first design. It had a celtic/viking/la tene culture look to it. Which is 'wicked cool' as the young'uns say.

[malcolm clapp]

A car will not go faster if you stick stripes on it...

Of course it will; especially a red one. Everybody knows that!

But not as fast as a pair of fur covered dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

Seriously though, if you want to add a design to your concertina, and it makes you feel better seeing it that way, then go for it.

[m3838]

A car will not go faster if you stick stripes on it...

Of course it will; especially a red one. Everybody knows that!

But not as fast as a pair of fur covered dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

Seriously though, if you want to add a design to your concertina, and it makes you feel better seeing it that way, then go for it.

It's all good except one thought: a person may be unaware of the true impression he/she makes to the public. We may perceive us to look cool, while in reality...
Those with some experience may know it the hard way. After all, Lawrence Welk was very good musician with very bad taste, and it single handedly hurt all bellows driven free reeds instruments in the US/Canada/UK for some 20 long years. Let's not tease the Geese, so to speak, and not provoke ironic reaction, there is enough already.
But I'd agree with the first design too. Functional, looks good, simple idea and identifiable.

[Mark Evans]

Let's not tease the Geese...

Sage advice. Does one even need to tease a goose? In my experience they are more than willing to give a passer-by a good thrashing at first sight!

Lawrence Welk...the name still gives me the junky scratch . My great aunt watched his show every week. It was a toss-up for her between me singing like Joe Feeney (God rest his soul) or playing "just like Liberacci" (God rest his soul).

Ending up with a red mother of toilet seat concertina in my hands in rural North Florida in the early 1960's didn't help either. I quickly learned to sit just behind the bus driver so I could make it to school without a good beating.

Personally, I think having a funky tricked out box ain't such a bad idea. My banjo is funky and some say ugly. Of course I hate bluegrass banjo and bluegrass banjo players in general and have treated my rather good sounding instrument as some form of very sick protest. It's not healthy and I am sure is all wrapped up with Lawrence Welk, Joe Feeney and Liberacci.

As long as I resist the urge to paste a few glittery bits on my Morse, the family will not have me committed...hopefully.